Book Reviews

Slow Burn by Sam B. Morgan at Loose Id

Genre

Gay / Contemporary / Officers of the Law / Erotic Romance

Reviewed by

Alex on 18-January-2014

Book Blurb

Detective Douglas Brody has only ever known the life of a cop. Raised strict but fair by his police chief father, he joined the academy right out of school, climbed the ranks hard and fast, and now works homicide for the City of Charleston. The job is his entire life. For years it’s kept him happy enough to minimize the side of him that craves what he believes is wrong. An accident on the job puts him on medical leave and everything in Brody’s world changes. He has to prove himself once more to be best cop in the department, all while dealing with Zack – his persistent, sexy, and out of the closet physical therapist.

Zack is tan skin, big grins, floppy hair and tackles his job with the same full-blown enthusiasm he does everything else. When the “patient from hell” is thrown his way by another PT who can’t handle him, Zack is committed to achieving the impossible. His new patient is a head strong and hot as hell homicide detective, who oozes as much resentment as he does sex appeal. Any involvement with a patient, especially a man who is so deep in the closet he can’t see light, is something Zack swore he’d never do. But Brody slowly proves too much to resist…

Book Review

I enjoyed this sexy closeted-cop-falls-for-his-out-physical-therapist romance tale. Big on the slow burn between its two lead characters with a smaller role being played by an unsolved homicide case, the storyline is well-paced and fully explores the emotional and mental makeup of both leads.

Injured in the line of duty, moody Detective Brody ‘s temper burns through his initial doctor and he is placed into the care of charismatic, physical therapist Zack. Married to his job and even more so to the homicide case the solving of which has eluded him for years, Brody wants back to work in a big way and one look at his new therapist sends his impatience into overdrive. What the hell can this pretty boy know that is going to get him back on the job? Dismayed at the rise of carnal feelings of a type he has long denied, Brody immediately lashes out. But Zack is not cowed by his attitude, gives as good as he gets, and despite his trepidation, Brody starts to see results. Burying his attraction to Zack, Brody focuses on the laborious exercise regime required for his recovery, but as he grows stronger, so to does his admiration for Zack.

Out and proud, Zack quickly suppresses his attraction to his new patient. The virile specimen of masculinity that is Brody is definitely Zack’s type, but the cop is probably straight or majorly closeted. Having tread that path before, Zack knows that road only leads to misery. Quick to realize that his surly paient is a bully, Zack deals with Brody by issuing physical challenges as bait. As Brody ‘s body and attitude improve, the two men reach an uneasy accord that mutates to a competitive companionship, but as their respect for each other grows, the fire beneath their friendly façade heats up.

This is a very solid contemporary romance story. To me, it is reminiscent of a Lifetime Channel movie of the week, save it’s got some too-hot-for-television steam to it. Both characters are highly likable, each facing down their personal demons for the sake of a chance at happiness. The homicide investigation provides a nice, subtle undertow to the love story and the supporting cast though minimal is strong. I personally felt the story shone when the two men capitulated to the slow burn. The author’s exploration of Zack guiding Brody through the initial forays of uncloseted sex were hot and quite beautiful as they revealed the warmth of care which accompanies genuine love and made me root for this pair even more.

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